Dispersion tuning of nonlinear dynamics in gas-filled capillary fibres

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the different regimes of optical nonlinear dynamics that can be accessed in hollow capillary fibres by tuning the zero dispersion wavelength. We pump a 3 m long, 250 μm diameter, argon-filled hollow capillary fibre with 10 fs pulses at 800 nm. By changing the gas pressure, the zero-dispersion wavelength can be tuned from the vacuum ultraviolet to the infrared. For anomalous dispersion at the pump wavelength, typical soliton and soliton-plasma dynamics are observed, such as selfcompression, dispersive-wave emission, soliton blue-shifting and ionization induced pulse splitting. Normal pump dispersion leads to the generation of 3-octave supercontinua and emission of dispersive waves in higher-order modes.